Church Attacks
Central team reviews situation in Karnataka
Bangalore, September 23
A Central team today visited Mangalore and Udupi in Karnataka and reviewed the situation in the wake of the recent attacks on churches in the two districts.
IGP (western range) A.M. Prasad said home ministry officials M.L. Kumawat and A.K. Yadav visited the “places of disturbances” in the two districts and various “religious establishments” affected by the
disturbances.

US diplomat concerned about attacks
Bangalore, September 23
Andrew T.
Simkin, Consul General of the US and his three-member team have expressed concern over the attacks on churches and Christians in Karnataka.

AIIMS-like institute for West Bengal
New Delhi, September 23
The government will set up an AIIMS-like institute in West Bengal, health minister Anbumani Ramadoss today assured the visiting all-party delegation from West Bengal. All possible help will be extended to the state in the field of public health, he said.

Punjab gets award for best sanitation
New Delhi, September 23
Punjab has been adjudged the best state in the sphere of “water and sanitation in the country” at an award function instituted by a leading multi-lingual television channel-IBN. Called the “Diamond States Awards”, the ceremony was held in the capital last night where the former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam handed over the award to Punjab's water supply and sanitation minister Bikram Singh Majithia.

Rahul misquoted: Cong
New Delhi, September 23
The Congress today denied media reports quoting AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi that the question of his being India’s future Prime Minister was “open”.

High Court notice to police on Nanda plea
New Delhi, September 23
The Delhi High Court today expressed its reluctance to grant bail to Sanjeev Nanda, sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment for mowing down six persons with
his BMW car, saying the car accident was a “serious” offence.

Noida Killing
Result of ‘simmering discontent’: Minister
New Delhi, September 23
The government today termed “simmering discontent among workers” as the main reason behind the death of the CEO of an Italy-based company Graziano, L.K. Chaudhury, in Greater Noida yesterday.

Widening of Kalka-Chandigarh road
Red-tapism should not delay project: HC
Chandigarh, September 23
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today made it clear that the project to streamline the flow of traffic on the Pinjore-Kalka-Parwanoo stretch of National Highway 22 should not be delayed on account of red-tapism.

From playing marbles to triggering bombs
Jaipur, September 23
From playing marbles in a school together to triggering bombs in Jaipur, Delhi and Ahmedabad, a group of 10 childhood friends have become the new face of terror in the country.

Dhumal for simultaneous assembly, LS polls
New Delhi, September 23
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said he favoured simultaneously holding assembly and general elections in the country and a constitutional amendment that facilitated such arrangement.

PFA gets notice for ‘violation’ of norms
New Delhi, September 23
The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has issued a notice to People For Animals (PFA), an NGO run by former union minister and noted animal rights activist Menaka Gandhi, for allegedly violating animal welfare norms at one of its shelters for monkeys in Haryana.

Box triggers panic at Howrah station
Kolkata, September 23
An unclaimed box marked “Explosives”, found in an empty compartment of a Bhadrak-bound passenger train, triggered panic at the Howrah station today.

Rs 500-cr aid for flood-hit Orissa
Bhubaneswar, September 23
Union home minister Shivraj Patil today announced Rs 500-crore assistance to cope with the relief and rehabilitation work in the flood-hit areas of Orissa. Of the Rs 500 crore, Rs 300 crore will be released in the first instalment and after submission of the progress on the expenditure, the rest would be released.

AI capt hurt in brawl, flight delayed
Kolkata, September 23
An Indian Airlines flight to Bagdogra was delayed after its captain was injured in a brawl with a commander of the Central Industrial Security Force at the Kolkata Airport today.

More ITBP for Afghanistan
New Delhi, September 23
With increased security threat on Indian assets in Afghanistan, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police will despatch a fresh contingent of its troops to the war-torn country next week to augment the security of key Indian assets.

SC upholds
derecognition of Janata Party
New Delhi, September 23
The Supreme Court today dismissed Janata Party (JP) president Subramanian Swamy’s petition, challenging a Delhi High Court verdict that had upheld the Election Commission’s cancellation of the recognition to the JP and the plough-and-wheel symbol reserved for it.

Bangalore, September 23
A Central team today visited Mangalore and Udupi in Karnataka and reviewed the situation in the wake of the recent attacks on churches in the two districts.
IGP (western range) A.M. Prasad said home ministry officials M.L. Kumawat and A.K. Yadav visited the “places of disturbances” in the two districts and various “religious establishments” affected by the
disturbances.

"What is happening in Delhi? Everyday innocent people are being killed
by terrorists — Chief Minister Yeddyurappa

Asked whether the home ministry officials only visited the churches that bore the brunt of attack by Hindu extremists, Prasad said “they went to all kinds of religious places”. The officials met religious leaders, members of the public, mediapersons and district officials and obtained feedbacks from them.

They also met senior police officials and took stock of the security measures undertaken in the area, Prasad said.

The two officials are slated to reach Bangalore in the evening and meet Karnataka principal secretary, home, Upendra Tripathi and discuss the law and order situation with him.

On the other hand, Chief Minister Yeddyurappa on a visit to Hubli today, fumed against the UPA-led government for sending Central officials to the state.

“What is happening in Delhi? Everyday innocent people are being killed by terrorists,” he said, adding that millions of Hindus had been forced to leave Kashmir by extremists with the Centre doing nothing to ensure their return. Yeddyurappa, however, seems to be in a mood to assuage the hurt feelings of the local Christians and met the Bangalore Archbishop Bernard Moras here.

Meanwhile, Justice M.F. Saldanha and B.G. Koshy of the Transparency International have urged him to ask the Centre to order a judicial probe into the violent incidents. They suggested the name of Rajendra Babu, retired Chief Justice of India, who has also headed the National Human Rights Commission, “and has the advantage of being from Karnataka with the benefit of being exceedingly fluent in the regional language” for conducting the probe. They also demanded transfer of Satish Kumar, Dakshina Kannada SP, Ganapathy, Mangalore (East) inspector and Jayant Shetty, DSP, Mangalore (Rural), and Bangalore city police commissioner Shankar Bidari for failing to control the situation.

The Karnataka Christian Social Welfare Association, headed by former state DGP F.T.R Colaso have, in a representation made to the CM, sought the release of all those arrested in connection with the violent incidents on September 14.

New Delhi, September 23
The government will set up an AIIMS-like institute in West Bengal, health minister Anbumani Ramadoss today assured the visiting all-party delegation from West Bengal. All possible help will be extended to the state in the field of public health, he said.

“We are committed to setting up such an institute in West Bengal and formalities in this regard are being completed,” Ramadoss told the delegation led by state health minister Surjya Kanta Mishra.

The delegation also raised the issue of vaccine supply to the state with Ramadoss who assured the visitors of sufficient stocks by the next month, to ensure smooth supply during the vaccine calendar in the state.

The state delegation spoke to the minister on the issue of suspension of licenses of
CRI, Kasauli, the Pasteur Institute, Coonur, and the BCG Vaccine Laboratory of
Guindy, Chennai.

The minister took note of the state’s demand for utilising the Pasteur Institute, Kolkata, for manufacture of vaccines and said a senior team would explore the possibility keeping in mind the capacity and quality requirements on a sustained basis. On the issue of relaxation of norms for new medical colleges in the state, Ramadoss said that the medical education in the country would be expanded without compromising on quality and in accordance with the Medical Council of India’s recommendations.

Strangely, the issue of prohibiting use of tobacco in public places, an issue dear to
Ramadoss, was kept out of the purview of his meeting with the delegation today. Last week, the minister had made a categorical appeal to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya to quit smoking. He had also said how 71 per cent men in West Bengal were tobacco users, urging them to follow the ensuing government ban on smoking in public places.

Chandigarh, September 23
He is planning to hang up his shoes after the present term of the Lok Sabha expires. Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee today said he would not contest the next Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a press conference after the conclusion of the three-day conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in India here today, Chatterjee said it was retirement time for him when asked if he would contest the elections and be the Lok Sabha Speaker after the next elections as well.

Replying to a question about a former Speaker not being opposed by other parties if he contested Parliamentary elections again, he said it was a good convention in Britain. He added it would be very difficult to maintain such a convention in India as there were so many parties. To another question, he maintained that the presidential form of government would be catastrophic in India.

He re-emphasised that he strongly recommended the giving up of powers of the Speaker to decide issues of defection. “I don’t want a single finger pointed at the chair of the Speaker. However honestly we may discharge our duty, there are allegations sometimes. This leaves scope for the court to question a Speaker just like any subdivisional magistrate. Just like the Election Commission is handling cases dealing with holding of office of profit, it can be given the responsibility of handling cases pertaining to defection also,” he said.

The Speaker favoured the “right to recall”, stating that when the President, vice-president, Prime Minister and judges can be removed from office, why shouldn’t there be a provision to call back “non-performing” MPs and MLAs.

On the issue of former Congress MP Kuldeep Bishnoi’s claim of having sent his resignation to the office of the LS Speaker, Chatterjee said he had not received a single representation.

He said the launch of the Lok Sabha channel was taking the proceedings to all parts of the country.

New Delhi, September 23
Punjab has been adjudged the best state in the sphere of “water and sanitation in the country” at an award function instituted by a leading multi-lingual television channel-IBN. Called the “Diamond States Awards”, the ceremony was held in the capital last night where the former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam handed over the award to Punjab's water supply and sanitation minister Bikram Singh Majithia.

The awards were given as a recognition of human and social development and evaluation of the standards of governance in the states of India. Access to drinking water and toilet facilities are the parameters considered by the TV network, while evaluating the performance of different states in the category of water and sanitation.

Majithia termed the achievement as “a recognition of the work being done by the SAD-BJP Government in Punjab”.

Quality drinking water is being provided through reverse osmosis technology in collaboration with Nandi Foundation, an NGO in Muktsar district which was now being extended to cover other problematic villages of Malwa area. Work on the Rs. 1250-crore World Bank-aided water supply and sanitation project had also been expedited, he added.

New Delhi, September 23
The Congress today denied media reports quoting AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi that the question of his being India’s future Prime Minister was “open”.

A press release issued by AICC media chairman Veerappa Moily today said the statement attributed to Rahul Gandhi is not correct. “The question of my being the PM is open and not closed yet,” Rahul Gandhi was quoted as saying in an interaction with students in Patiala.

Stating that Rahul Gandhi had been misquoted, Moily said the AICC general secretary categorically said he is not focusing on posts and positions, but only on building the youth and student organisations.

This is not the first time that “Rahul-for-PM” remarks have generated a controversy. A few months ago, Congress president Sonia Gandhi had publicly snubbed HRD minister Arjun Singh and others who had set up a clamour for Rahul Gandhi’s prime ministership.

Only recently, Sonia Gandhi had gone a step further and virtually endorsed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s projection as the Congress party’s candidate for the premier’s post in next year’s Lok Sabha elections. When asked at a party function on August 15 if the PM will unfurl the flag at Red Fort next year, she had firmly replied, “Certainly.”

Despite the Congress president’s public assertion, the party has been chary of giving a definite answer on the question of the party’s future PM. Its spokespersons invariably skirt the issue, merely stating that, “There is no vacancy for the post as we already have a Prime Minister.”

New Delhi, September 23
The Delhi High Court today expressed its reluctance to grant bail to Sanjeev Nanda, sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment for mowing down six persons with
his BMW car, saying the car accident was a “serious” offence.

Justice Kailash Gambhir, however, issued notice to the Delhi police and sought its response by October 3 on Nanda’s petition challenging his conviction and quantum of sentence in the BMW hit-and-run case.

Advocate Mukul
Rohatgi, appearing for Nanda, contended that the trial court had wrongly convicted him due to publicity in the media and he should not be given more than two years of
imprisonment.

“The court relied on Alistair Pereira case where the accused was given three years of imprisonment for mowing down people sleeping on the pavement. On the other hand, in this case the accident happened because of the victim’s fault as they were standing in the middle of the road in the wee hours but Nanda was given five years of imprisonment,” Rohatgi said.

“Nanda’s offence stands on a lower footing as compared to Pereira and he should not be given more than two years of imprisonment,” he submitted.

The court, not convinced with the contention, said: “Do you want to say that the car accident is not a serious offence. People standing on the road were run over by the car”.
— PTI

New Delhi, September 23
The government today termed “simmering discontent among workers” as the main reason behind the death of the CEO of an Italy-based company Graziano, L.K. Chaudhury, in Greater Noida yesterday.

“This should serve as a warning for the managements. It is my appeal to the that the workers should be dealt with compassion,” union labour minister Oscar Fernandes told mediapersons at a press conference, here today.

“There are disparities in the wages of permanent employees and contract workers. The workers should not be pushed so hard that they resort to whatever that had happened in Noida,” he said.

“It is a fact that the number of organised workers has been decreasing. It came down from seven to six per cent. We are going to discuss the matter of hire and fire policy during the next Labour Congress. First we deal with PSUs and later with the private sector on the issue,” he added.

The workforce is “unable to express its simmering discontent over the management policies” leading to strained ties between the two, Fernandes said while expressing his condolences to members of the bereaved family. The minister is expected to visit the incident site tomorrow.

Around two months back, workers of the company were dismissed. The CEO of the company was reportedly beaten to death by a group of these employees inside the premises yesterday, after a compromise meeting had failed.
— PTI

Chandigarh, September 23
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today made it clear that the project to streamline the flow of traffic on the Pinjore-Kalka-Parwanoo stretch of National Highway 22 should not be delayed on account of red-tapism.

Taking up the traffic regulation and highway broadening case, the Division Bench, comprising Justice Uma Nath Singh and Justice Daya Chaudhary, also directed in the open court the summoning of the defence secretary, Haryana chief secretary and chairman of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).

The case, aimed at ensuring the free flow of traffic by cutting down the delay in widening of the Chandigarh-Kalka highway will now come up for further hearing on October 1. The road has been witnessing traffic jams especially on the stretch passing through the towns of Pinjore and Kalka.

The summoning orders came during the resumed hearing on the issue of traffic problems faced by the commuters, and the need to resolve the same, in the states of Punjab and Haryana, along with the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

As the Bench took up the matter, the Judges expressed their unhappiness at the red-tapism enveloping the issue of transfer of a chunk of defence land between Chandigarh and Pinjore to the NHAI, and also on the issue of providing alternative land to the army authorities by Haryana in lieu of the land to be transferred to NHAI.

Jaipur, September 23
From playing marbles in a school together to triggering bombs in Jaipur, Delhi and Ahmedabad, a group of 10 childhood friends have become the new face of terror in the country.

They are probably the only key to the Indian Mujahideen, a completely new terrorist outfit, about which neither the police nor intelligence agencies know much. They were helped by two others - Saif and Shahbaaz - both belonging to SIMI, and in police custody as of now.
Shahbaaz is said to be the leader of SIMI.

Although the Jaipur police has named these 10 in the May13 serial blasts that killed 62 and injured many, their motivation, ideology and group structure remains unknown. The only thing known is that they belong to the new outfit. Seven of them, including Qayam-ud-din, Tauqeer, Sajid, Atif, Shadaab, Shafiq Salmann, and Khalid are still absconding. Abbu Bashir and Sajjid Mansuri are in the custody of Delhi police. The tenth, Chotta Sajid, was one of the two terrorists killed in the recent encounter with the
Delhi police.

Notably, despite the group being together for so many years no intelligence agency could get a sniff of their activities, confessed a senior police official. He said the group was so closely-knit that they did not trust any outsider.

New Delhi, September 23
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said he favoured simultaneously holding assembly and general elections in the country and a constitutional amendment that facilitated such arrangement.

He was speaking last night at a function held to honour Himachal Pradesh, which was adjudged the best state in the country in terms of environment protection and ecological conservation by way of enhancement of green cover.

Himachal beat other states in the national survey conducted by two media organisations on the states’ preparedness to fight global warming. Former President of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, presented the award to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister
at a function held in the city.

Dhumal said the state was trying its best to deal with global warming and environmental protection.

Dhumal, while arguing for conducting assembly and Lok Sabha elections together, said repeated elections had an adverse impact on social and economic development of the country. “Holding of elections at different times diverts the attention of governments from real issues,” he said, offering to conduct Himachal assembly elections with the ensuing

parliamentary elections if a national-level political consensus was evolved on the issue.

New Delhi, September 23
The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has issued a notice to People For Animals (PFA), an NGO run by former union minister and noted animal rights activist Menaka Gandhi, for allegedly violating animal welfare norms at one of its shelters for monkeys in Haryana.

“After monitoring the status of the centre, where the animals are kept, and the condition of the simians as well, the CZA has asked the NGO to either improve the existing infrastructure and deploy adequate staff for the captive monkeys within next six months or face derecognition,” said an official.

When contacted, Gandhi refuted allegations that the centre was facing overcapacity problems and said there was sufficient staff and veterinarian to take care of animals.

A CZA team during the evaluation of the Centre recently found that it was allegedly in a dilapidated state with no proper care being rendered to the animals, as many of them were found injured or wounded, sources said.
— PTI

Bhubaneswar, September 23
Union home minister Shivraj Patil today announced Rs 500-crore assistance to cope with the relief and rehabilitation work in the flood-hit areas of Orissa. Of the Rs 500 crore, Rs 300 crore will be released in the first instalment and after submission of the progress on the expenditure, the rest would be released.

Patil, who made an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas of the state and later held a review meeting on the flood situation, told mediapersons that funds would be no constraint and if required more money would be given.

The home minister said the centre would do everything that could be done to overcome the difficulties in mitigating the sufferings of the people.
— UNI

New Delhi, September 23
With increased security threat on Indian assets in Afghanistan, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police will despatch a fresh contingent of its troops to the war-torn country next week to augment the security of key Indian assets.

“A batch of officers and personnel will leave for Kabul in the next 10 days to augment our strength,” DG of ITBP Vikram Srivastava said.

The decision comes after a three-member team of the force, which has been guarding Indian installations in Afghanistan returned after assessing the security situation after a number of attacks on Indian interests, including diplomatic missions in the central Asian country.

The 218-km Delaram-Zeranj highway project, undertaken by the Border Roads Organisation, which gives the landlocked country access to an Iranian port, is expected to open for vehicular traffic shortly, Srivastava
said. — PTI

Singur, September 23
Armed miscreants attacked two security guards at the Tata Motors small car unit here late last night, seriously injuring them.

Singur police station officer in- charge Priyabrata Bakshi today said the miscreants attacked the two security guards, Ajit Kumar from Bihar and S.N. Sarkar from
Murshidabad, with iron rods and sharp-edged weapons.

The seriously injured security guards were rushed to the Srerampore Walls Hospital.

The motive behind the attack was suspected to be robbery, the police officer said, adding further investigation was on and a manhunt had been launched to nab the miscreants. However, no arrests had been made so far.
— UNI

New Delhi, September 23
The Supreme Court today dismissed Janata Party(JP) president Subramanian Swamy’s petition, challenging a Delhi High Court verdict that had upheld the Election Commission’s cancellation of the recognition to the JP and the plough-and-wheel symbol reserved for it.

A Bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhan ruled that the Janata Party did not fulfil the eligibilty criteria to retain its status as a recognised party and the election symbol.

Biswas resigns from Rajya Sabha
New Delhi: Debabrata Biswas, general secretary of All India Forward Bloc resigned his Rajya Sabha membership in the wake of differences within his party over his renomination. Forward Bloc is the fourth member of the four-party Left Front. According to Left sources, the controversy was initially started by the CPI which eventually led to Biswas’ resignation today.
— TNS

Pachauri accepts invitation
NEW DELHI: Noted environmentalist R K Pachauri has accepted an invitation to join the international board of governors of the prestigious Hillary Institute, New Zealand. Pachauri, chairman of the Nobel award winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, was invited to join the institute by its patron, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark. The invitation was extended to him after his recent address during the institute’s first annual symposium on “Leadership in climate change solutions”.
— PTI

Minister’s house attacked
IMPHAL: Militants hurled a powerful grenade at the private house of Manipur panchayati raj minister Mohammed Alaudin in east Imphal district, the official sources said on Tuesday. No one was injured in the attack as the grenade failed to explode, they said. The minister and his family were not present at the time of the incident as they stayed at their official residence here. Later, the experts defused the grenade.
— PTI

Photo exhibition from Oct 2
MUMBAI: Mumbaikars will have an opportunity to chance upon the photography project of the award-winning documentary filmmaker Gerry Troyna, BBC’s own ‘Railway Man’, during an exhibition to be held between October 2 and 13. Titled ‘Meri Rail: Portraits of the Indian Railways’, the exhibition to be held at the NCPA offers a peek into the humblest station orphan, a coolie, to a high-level bureaucrat and all others associated with the Railways.
— PTI